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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26720854">To Lease and To Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellwritten/pseuds/wellwritten'>wellwritten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:14:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,041</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26720854</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellwritten/pseuds/wellwritten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In modern day Melbourne, Phryne and Jack run into one another, rekindle their friendship, and do all sorts of other fun stuff that you should enjoy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>111</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Author's Note: Jack and Phryne run into each other in modern day Melbourne...</p><p> </p><p>“Jack?” The woman’s animated voice carried over the din of the coffee shop’s morning rush, catching Detective Jack Robinson by surprise.</p><p>“Phryne!”  His face transformed from his normal observant neutral to a full-blown smile and he headed toward her. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Dr. Phryne Fisher juggled her large leather tote bag, her cell phone, and her steaming cup of tea safely wrapped in a cardboard sleeve and gave a slight shrug. “I live in the neighborhood and I’m here getting my usual. What about you?”</p><p>“I’m on my way back to the station.  We had an early scene this morning and I didn’t get a chance for caffeine.”</p><p>“It’s a crazy mess in here, what are you having?”</p><p>“Just a coffee, black,” Jack said.</p><p>“Black coffee and throw in a fruit toast,” Phryne called out to the young barista behind the counter, then turned back to Jack. “You look like you might have skipped breakfast as well.”</p><p>Jack Robinson had met Phryne Fisher for the first time almost twenty years ago, when her sister Janey had been reported missing from a Melbourne amusement park.  Phryne’s parents, wealthy aristocratic types, were more hindrance than help, and Jack had felt drawn to the young lady who tried her hardest to hold it all together during an extremely trying time, on top of pursuing her university studies.  Though he’d only been a training police officer at the time, he’d been impressed by Phryne’s remarkable strength and poise.</p><p>The Janey Fisher case was never solved, at least to his knowledge.  At the time, the family had agreed to continue with a private investigator because the only leads that were still active pointed them out of Australia. With an obvious jurisdiction hurdle, he’d been reassigned and continued on with his training and over time, his career.</p><p>Every once in a while, though, he would run into Phryne, a happenstance he secretly enjoyed.  They both lived in Melbourne, and while Jack’s professional journey led him through the Detective ranks, Phryne’s had followed an academic path, her current position being that of a Lecturer at the University of Melbourne in the Forensic Psychology department.  Every time they met, and he learned that she’d advanced, he felt an inordinate amount of pride.  Over time, he realized that pride was actually affection, but he did his best to tamp down that sticky emotion.  </p><p>“Do you have time to catch up?”</p><p>Phryne checked her watch and shook her head.  “No, I’m sorry, I have to be at a department meeting in about twenty minutes.”  </p><p>“Oh, well, maybe another time.”</p><p>“What about tonight? Do you want to meet for a drink, or maybe dinner?  There’s a great little club next door.”</p><p>Pleased that her initial unavailability wasn’t disinterest, Jack agreed immediately, “Yeah, sure, about 7p?”</p><p>“Perfect, I’ll see you tonight!” With a jaunty grin, she turned and disappeared into the crown, leaving Jack nothing to do but watch her go.</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>If asked, Jack Robinson would have said he noticed the more practical attributes of another person at first sight, like hair length or eye color.  However, watching Phryne Fisher walk toward him through the sophisticated art deco-influenced Supper Club, he noticed her self-confidence first.  Besides the flirty grin on her face, her sex appeal was not overt, but called to Jack like a siren.  To be honest, he admitted to himself, everything about Phryne always had.  </p><p>When they’d first met, Jack had been young, full of energy and enthusiasm but short on confidence with the opposite sex.  He never would have entertained the idea of asking Phryne for a drink, much less anything more…profound.  Now, however, he was older, wiser, and knew that the odds were slim that an invite to a drink would lead to anything else.</p><p>Only a few feet away now, he stood and wondered if she’d come straight from campus, or if she’d freshened up first.  If he’d had time, he would have changed clothes himself.</p><p>“Hello again!” Jack greeted, then stepped aside so she could enter the small booth.   Phryne looked tired, but pleased to see him, her face full of her wide smile.  “How was your day?” </p><p>“Good in parts, annoying in parts,” she responded, after pecking his cheek, then nodded to the waiter who set down a drink on the table in front of her without her saying a word.  </p><p>After giving the waiter his own order Jack leaned toward her, “I guess they know you here, too?”</p><p>Phryne laughed, “Like I said, I live in the area, so yes, they know me pretty well.”</p><p>“What made your day annoying?”</p><p>“Remember that meeting I mentioned this morning?” At Jack’s nod, she continued, “My department head tends to give me special attention and it’s getting to the point where it’s uncomfortable.  It’s nothing I can’t handle, but it is awkward, and honestly, just annoying.”  She rolled her neck and stretched her shoulders, trying to physically unburden the stress her colleague had brought.  “But enough about me, tell me what’s going on with you!  It’s been way too long!  The last time I saw, you were on an undercover assignment, right?”</p><p>Jack nodded, the memories of running into Phryne at a party about six months ago flooded his mind.  Held at a private home, the event had been a fundraiser hosted by the Lord Mayor and attended by most of Melbourne’s elite.  He’d later learned Phryne was there with her Aunt, a powerful woman on the Council, but Jack had been there to infiltrate a fraud conglomerate.  The sting had been successful, greatly helped by the fact that Phryne hadn’t blown his cover when they’d run into each other at the bar.  Later that same week, he’d sent a bouquet of flowers with a short note to say thank you.</p><p>“I really appreciated your help that night, you could have blown the whole operation.”</p><p>“I’d never do that, not on purpose, anyway.  Did you get your man?”</p><p>“Men, actually, but yes, the night was a success.”</p><p>Though his words sounded positive, his tone was reserved, so as was her way, she poked, “It sounds like something about it wasn’t so great.”</p><p>Jack picked up his drink and sipped, not surprised by her intuition. “That also happened to be the night that Rosie, my wife, left me.”</p><p>“Oh Jack, I’m sorry, I had no idea.”  Phryne knew Jack had married, though she’d never met his wife.  He was one of the good guys, it was hard to believe someone would willingly let him go.</p><p>“It’s been a long time coming, we’ve been drifting apart for a while.”  Seeing Phryne’s discomfort, he wanted to reassure her.  “Really, we haven’t been happy for some time.  I’m a bit too dull for her and she had evolved the opposite direction, she craved the limelight.  We had arguments almost daily about her attachment to social media and that every time we went out did not need to be documented for her followers.” </p><p>“Did you try to work it out, with Rosie, I mean?”</p><p>“We did see a counselor for a few months, but at the end of the day, we’re definitely going through with the divorce.  Which reminds me, I really need to take some time this weekend and see if I can find a flat somewhere.”</p><p>“Now that is something I know a little about! What part of town were you thinking?”</p><p>“I hadn’t really given it that much thought.  Closer in would be better, so it’s not far from work?”</p><p>“Well, Detective, let’s enjoy our dinner, but when we’re done, I think I may have the perfect answer for you!”</p><p> </p><p>Author's Note: I have a few other chapters finished, but not the whole story.  I'd love your feedback!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Even in the modern world, our dear Phryne makes things happen!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phryne bought the building she currently lived in when she was twenty-five.  At the time, she was trying to decide what she wanted to do with her career which seemed to be heading on an academic path.  Aunt Prudence, her only family member in Australia, had strongly encouraged her to start investing some of her recently released trust, which led to a meeting with an estate agent, and soon after, her first investment.  Though she’d bought many other properties since, her first had remained her favorite.  The building was majestic and classic, well suited for the more historic part of town, and very much her.</p><p>The ground floor held several shops and office spaces, including the office for her personal manager Dorothy Williams. Dot was a true gem, and she and her team helped keep Phryne organized with her personal business, real estate and charitable work.   </p><p>The second floor housed two apartments, one which currently sat empty, and one recently leased by Dr. Elizabeth MacMillan, who happened to be Phryne’s best friend.  The third floor was almost completely open concept, with a kitchen, living and dining space, and then to one side, a small apartment where her houseman, Mr. Butler lived.  On the fourth floor, Phryne had her own private apartment, also fairly open concept, along with a master suite and home office, that served as her own sanctuary.  At the top of the building, there was a terrace, though that level had been neglected for quite some time.</p><p>“Just hear me out.”</p><p>Jack stood and followed Phryne down the main walkway of the club, her hands motioning wildly as she attempted to explain.  “I’ve done this with Mac and it’s worked out very well.  We don’t get in each other’s way but there are people around, and not strangers.  We have started meeting up for brunch on Sunday morning, which is quite nice, but you wouldn’t have to join if you didn’t want to.”</p><p>Phryne was obviously trying to persuade him to agree to something, but Jack could not decipher what exactly that something was.  Regardless, he continued to keep in step and paused with her as she flashed an access card at the side of a rather non-descript door at the side of the club.  After hearing a click, Phryne turned and winked, then pushed the door open.  </p><p>“C’mon, Jack, let me show you.”  </p><p>As he walked through the door, his senses clamored to keep up with the changes.  The club they’d just been in had been warm and energetic, filled with the din of laughter and music.  The lobby area Phryne had just led him to was quiet and cool, but comfortable.  The club had been dark, but this space seemed to glow with all the brass highlights and marble accents.  Trying to get his bearings, he realized the large window that stretched above the street access to the lobby would likely flood the space with light during the day.  </p><p>“You coming?” Jack’s thoughts were interrupted by Phryne, who stood at the bottom of a large set of stairs, one foot up, waiting for him to follow.</p><p>“Sure, sure.”</p><p>“There are elevators, two sets actually, but we all tend to take the stairs.  Good exercise and all that, but I think they’re just so much more attractive than an elevator cab.”</p><p>Jack nodded, though he still hadn’t caught on to where they were going or what she was talking about.</p><p>When they reached the next landing, Phryne pulled out a set of keys.  “Mac is there,” she pointed behind her, then unlocked the only other set of doors he could see.</p><p>“Is Mac your gentleman friend?”</p><p>Phryne turned and looked at him with a puzzled face, “No, she’s not.  I would have thought you knew her.”</p><p>Jack shook his head, Phryne shrugged, then pushed open the doors.  “This one would be yours.”</p><p>“My what?”  Even with the veil of confusion firmly in place, Jack followed Phryne through the double doored entrance into a large living room, taking in the tall windows that lined the street side of the room.  Beyond that, there was a kitchen with island, and a corridor that he assumed held a few more rooms.  </p><p>Once she flicked on the light, he could see what an inviting place she’d brought him to.  Phryne crossed her arms, “Your apartment?  Didn’t you say you needed to find a place to live?”</p><p>“Yes, but Phryne, I’m just a police officer, I can’t afford this.”</p><p>“Mac is paying $500, wouldn’t that work for you?”</p><p>“No, I can’t possibly afford $500 a week.”</p><p>“Not $500 a week, $500 a month.”</p><p>“Phryne, I’m confused.  Do you live in this building?”</p><p>“No, I own this building.  And I’m offering to let you rent this unit, if you want it.”</p><p>“I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure this place is worth much more than what you’re asking.  I thought you were a professor?”</p><p>“I am, and I know it’s worth more than what I’m asking, but this is my home.  I can’t possibly use this much space, but I’m not interested in having strangers here.  I would feel so much more comfortable if the apartments were used by people I trusted.”  Phryne paused, “But if it doesn’t suit you, you can say no.”</p><p>Jack nodded, still processing the opportunity.</p><p>In response, Phryne kept walking, “Well, while you’re busy overthinking it, why don’t I finish giving you the tour? Now, down this hall there’s an office, here with the sliding doors, and then two bedrooms with a hall bath and an ensuite with the larger one.  That bedroom has a wall of windows since it’s at the back of the building, it gets great light in the morning with a view of the gardens.  Let’s see, what else?  Oh! There is a parking spot, but if you need garage space for your gear, there’s a storage room off the main hall that belongs to the unit.”</p><p>“It’s a great apartment,” he said hesitantly.</p><p>“So, you’ll take it?”</p><p>“How long of a lease are you offering? And you would have me sign an actual lease?”</p><p>“Yes, you would sign a lease, Dot will handle all of that. How about a year, and if you want to extend it, you can, at the same rate?” </p><p>“That seems exceedingly generous.”  At her questioning glance, he rolled his eyes.  “I guess I would be a fool not to take it.”</p><p>“Wonderful! Now, let me show you the rest of the building!”</p><p>00000</p><p>After six months as a resident at Fisher Manor, as Jack liked to tease, he openly admitted it had been a good decision.  The apartment was large and on its own would have satisfied his needs, but the rest of the building, the location, and his neighbors, filled a void he didn’t realize existed.  As it turned out, he did know Mac, because Mac was Dr. Elizabeth Macmillan, who happened to work in the Coroner’s office, and he ran into her on cases at least once a week.  </p><p>Though he’d never describe himself as a joiner, Jack could usually be found at brunch on Sunday mornings with the ladies.  Once in a while Mac would have a friend along, but more often than not, it was just the three of them.  These mornings were idyllic, solely for relaxation when the third floor of the building was flooded with light and the three of them would be dressed for comfort.  Jazz or something light and upbeat would be playing in the background, adding to the mood.  Mr. Butler served a big breakfast leaving the group ready for nothing more taxing than a good movie, if Jack or Mac didn’t get called in to work.</p><p>On one such rainy Sunday, after they’d all eaten their fill, Jack stayed behind with Phryne while Mac went to pick the morning’s entertainment.  </p><p>“Phryne, can I ask you a question?”</p><p>“Of course, what’s up?”  She leaned against the large island in the kitchen where Mr. Butler was finishing preparing drinks.</p><p>“I’d like to try my hand at cleaning up the roof.  I was up there exploring the other day and, well, I used to have quite the green thumb.  Do you mind?”</p><p>“Sure, if you’d like.  Ask Mr. Butler if you need any supplies.  There’s a little shed, but I couldn’t begin to tell you what’s in there, I’ve never even opened the door.”</p><p>“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”</p><p>“You’re welcome, Jack, do whatever you want.  Now come on, let’s see what Mac’s come up with, hopefully not another artsy pic.”</p><p>“I heard that!” came the cry from across the room.  “Just because you’re an academic doesn’t mean you can’t use a little more culture, Phryne Fisher!”</p><p>Phryne rolled her eyes with a teasing smile and picked up the tray of mimosas Mr. Butler had prepared, then headed toward the large sectional where Mac was waiting.   As usual, Phryne grabbed the center section, leaving a corner each for Mac and Jack.</p><p>“Did he ask you out?” Mac whispered, keeping an eye on Jack who was still chatting with Mr. Butler back in the kitchen.</p><p>“What? No! Why would you even ask that?”</p><p>Mac gave her a doubtful look, then shook her head, quickly followed by a playful grin, “Did you want him to?”</p><p>“Mac! Stop it!  He’s not interested in me like that!  He’s a mate, and I’m his landlord.  That’s it!”</p><p>“Hmm, if you say so,” she responded with a smirk, watching Jack head toward them.</p><p>As Jack got settled, Phryne glanced over to the man in question and gave a friendly smile.  She enjoyed the company of men but hadn’t had a serious relationship in years.  She wasn’t an introvert by any stretch of the imagination, she just preferred physical encounters on her own terms.  She didn’t need a therapist to understand that a disastrous relationship with a colleague over five years ago had left quite a mark.</p><p>A charming Frenchman, Phyrne met Rene Dubois at University when she was an undergraduate, and quickly fell under his spell.  They had enjoyed romantic strolls, candlelit dinners and picnics in the park, all the natural ingredients for her first real committed relationship.  After a few months, they moved in together and the first few weeks were perfect, but it didn’t take long until she started to notice significant changes in his behavior.  Behind closed doors, a different personality emerged.  Rene would be adoring in public at a restaurant, then they’d return home, and he’d yell at her for flirting with the waiter.  If she had a meeting with her study group, when she made it back to the apartment, he’d want to know exactly who was there and what they said.  For a while, she dismissed his actions as petty jealousy, but his irrationality continued to escalate. It took four months of suffering and one particular weekend restrained against her will in a closet for Phryne to seek help.  </p><p>Help came in the form of Mac, who convinced Phryne to contact the Domestic Violence unit which soon after, arrested Rene.  He’d been a professor, so there were repercussions both personally and professionally, but with Mac by her side, she handled all of that including regular therapy sessions.</p><p>However, Mac had recently begun hinting that she thought Phryne needed to try another relationship, so her comment about Jack wasn’t a complete shock.  Jack was obviously a good guy and she’d definitely had a schoolgirl crush on him when he was assigned to her sister’s case.  He was attractive, kind, and had a great sense of humor, but that didn’t mean she could forget her past or that she wanted to risk a great long-term friendship.  Besides, even after a divorce, Jack seemed the type to connect with a quiet woman who would want a family and have dinner on the table each night, someone the complete opposite of herself.</p><p>She glanced Jack’s way one more time, not wistfully she told herself, before settling back to focus on the movie.  </p><p>00000</p><p>“Hello?” Phryne’s sleepy voice answered the unexpected phone call.  She checked the clock next to her bed, the digital numbers reporting 1:37a, and she flipped on the nightstand lamp.  “I’ll be down in just a minute.  Hey Harry, don’t let him leave, please?”  She hung up and quickly pulled on a pair of yoga pants under her nightshirt, slipped on sandals, and headed downstairs to the Supper Club.</p><p>“Is this seat taken?”  Phryne nodded at the barman and turned her attention to the man on the barstool next to her.</p><p>“Phryne! What are you doing here?” The slur in his voice was evident of his evening’s activities. </p><p>“I heard you were having a good time tonight and I wanted to make sure you had a ride home.”</p><p>“I am good, I’m wonderful.  I’m having a celebratory drink to mark this momentous occasion.”</p><p>“Just one?” she teased.  She mouthed to the bartender, ‘how many?’ and in response got a finger count of seven.  Phryne rolled her eyes and turned back to Jack.</p><p>“Maybe a few more than one, but that’s the advantage of living in the same building as this amazing place.  When I’m done, I just have to get to the elevator, press the 2, and then I’m home.”</p><p>“What are we celebrating, Jack?” she said softly.</p><p>“That I am officially a single man,” he lifted the glass in mock toast and emptied the contents in one swallow.</p><p>“Are we happy about that?”</p><p>Jack stayed facing forward and set his glass down to consider the question.  “I am glad that chapter is closing, but I don’t know that I care for what it says about what I’ve made of my life.”</p><p>“You’re a very successful and well-respected member of Melbourne’s Police Force, you’re in great physical shape, you look like a male model, and you’re one of the best men I know.  I’d say you’re not doing too bad.</p><p>Jack turned his head toward Phryne, and gave a dopey, sleepy smile. “Hi!”</p><p>Phryne thought he looked adorable, and responded back, “Hi.”  She then watched him cross his arms and put his head down.  Though she considered Jack a fairly laid-back man, he didn’t smile a lot, but without his inhibitions, his lips seemed to naturally curve into a boyish grin.  She hoped he didn’t notice that she couldn’t keep her eyes off his mouth.</p><p>“I might have had too much to drink.”</p><p>“You most definitely have, my friend.  Maybe it’s time to call it a night?  </p><p>Jack nodded.  “Just don’t tell her, okay?  I don’t want her to know about this.”</p><p>“Who, your ex-wife?” Phryne placed her arm around Jack’s waist as they walked away from the bar.</p><p>“No, Phryne.  She might throw me out on the street if she thought I couldn’t hold my drink.”</p><p>Phryne couldn’t tell if he really didn’t know who she was, but she played along. “Not many can handle that many drinks, I don’t think she’d think any worse of you.”  She watched him slide from the stool, and after a pause to get his footing, started his journey home.</p><p>Through the atrium and toward the elevators, Jack walked on his own steam, with Phryne close behind.  If she was a betting woman, she’d lay odds that he didn’t allow himself this lack of control very often, and she was grateful that the barman had thought to call her and not the police.  “Here’s your button, Jack.”</p><p>“Number 2!” he said triumphantly and after a couple of misconnections, pressed the button he needed.</p><p>She followed him out of the elevator cab and to his door, “Almost there.” She tried the door and found it locked.  “Where are your keys, Jack?”</p><p>Jack leaned against the wall next to his door, hands out and head down, like she was going to frisk him before an arrest.  His muffled, “right pocket,” was enough permission for her, and she moved around and slid her hand into the denim on that side.  His pants were tight enough she had to wriggle her fingers to reach his keys.  Before she could get to them, Jack’s hand gripped her wrist and pulled it away, “That’s dangerous territory.”</p><p>After admiring his mouth downstairs and then practically assaulting him in his hallway, Phryne’s awareness of Jack had firmly shifted to not so neighborly thoughts.  </p><p>“Jack?” Phryne asked, though she wasn’t sure if it was for permission or to find out if he was thinking the same thing she was.  In a split second, the lips she’d been admiring downstairs were kissing hers.  She was pretty sure the moan she heard was her own, but Jack was fully engaged with his hands pulling her lower half tight against his own.  He pulled her with him as he leaned against the wall and let his thumbs glide across the peak of one of her breasts, now fully obvious since she hadn’t taken the time to put on anything under her nightshirt. After a few minutes, the need for oxygen forced them apart, leaving both fighting for breath.</p><p>“Drink a glass of water before you get in bed, hmm?”</p><p>And with his slight nod, Phryne took a large step back and scurried toward the stairs and away from a highly desirable, but questionable, decision.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So delicious how they can now run into each other in the same building! ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jack removed his shirt and let the light breeze cool down his overheated body.  As the sun started to set, he looked around the roof terrace, pleased with the results of his weeks of work and pulled out his phone.</p><p>Before he lost his nerve, he texted Phryne, ‘If you’re home, come up top, I’ll show you what I’ve been up to.’</p><p>One of the greatest joys of living in the building had been his growing friendship with Phryne.  He had admired her greatly before he moved in, but that admiration had developed into something…more.  He already knew she was beautiful, intelligent, and strong, but with time, he’d seen her humor, passion for life, and in a rare moment or two, and never more than a flash, a vulnerability. </p><p>It was only moments before the bubble popped up telling him she was typing back, ‘Be there in 20.’</p><p>Jack smiled, and deciding he had enough time for a quick shower, headed downstairs to clean up.  </p><p>All three residents, himself included, preferred the stairs to the elevator unless they were lugging a lot of supplies.  It wasn’t a surprise then, to run into Phryne on the way back up after his shower.</p><p>“Just give me five more minutes, I’ll be right there,” she rushed. She had obviously just come from work, one side of her small frame weighed down by a heavy looking bag, which Jack automatically took from her.</p><p>“I thought you were already home?”</p><p>“I should have been, my last class ended at 3p, but I was sidetracked by a few students that had questions before next week’s exam.” </p><p>“I can show you the terrace another time, there’s no rush.”  </p><p>“No, actually a quiet night and a drink or two sounds lovely, if you don’t mind my company for a bit?”  She looked tired, but genuinely ready for some relaxation.  </p><p>“Okay then, I’ll meet you up there.”  Jack had followed her to her apartment level which much like the third level was open to the stairs. He set her bag down next to a console table filled with personal photos of travels and friends.  He wanted to explore this inner sanctum, but even at the quick glance at the array of frames brought the feeling that he was invading her privacy.</p><p>“I’m going to change and won’t be a minute, do you want to wait for me? We can go up together?” </p><p>She noticed him glancing at her personal photos and smiled widely. “Jack, you’re a detective, you’re naturally curious.  Go on, have a look.  I’ll be right back.”</p><p>With permission, Jack relaxed and studied each photo, even recognizing a few faces.  He noticed more photos on the other side of her living room area and walked over to explore further.</p><p>“That’s better!” Phryne rejoined him dressed in more casual clothes but found Jack focused on a particular photo that he’d picked up and seemed to be studying.  “Jack?”</p><p>“You found her!”</p><p>Phryne walked up behind him to see what he was looking at, then smiled widely.  “Yes, we did!  </p><p>Though Jack saw the large smile, there was a furrow in Phryne’s brow that told him there was more to the story. “Is Janey okay, she is alive, right?”</p><p>Phryne nodded and then motioned over to the side of the room, “There’s a cooler there, why don’t you pick something to drink, and get glasses, and I’ll grab some snacks.  We can talk more upstairs?” </p><p>Jack nodded and they each carried out their assigned task.  Once her basket was loaded, Jack gathered up everything and followed Phryne upstairs to the roof.</p><p>When they reached the end of the stairs, Jack tried to see the roof through her eyes.  He’d planned to simply add some pots and planter boxes, and focus on planting herbs, fruits, and vegetables, but once he’d gotten started, Mr. Butler and come up and given his opinion, and then Mac and Dot showed up and showed him some photos they’d seen on Pinterest, and the ideas grew from there.</p><p>“Jack! This is absolutely gorgeous!  I can’t believe it’s the same place!”</p><p>“I don’t think anyone had been up here in quite some time, so it was pretty much a blank canvas.  I thought we all might like to use it more, so I did get Mr. Butler’s help on picking out the seating, though his vision was a little broader than mine.”</p><p>“That’s just because he knows me.  More is better in this case.”</p><p>Planter boxes filled with new plants surrounded the sides of the roof, creating a gigantic lounge area where both larger and smaller groups could mingle.  He’d added hanging lights for nighttime get togethers, along with a few dining tables for outdoor meals.  The addition of potted plants with flowers concealed some of the rooftop equipment, and she could easily see them all enjoying a warm night in the open air.  Back behind the lounge space, he motioned her to come see behind a tall hedge wall, where neat rows of box planters were arranged.  </p><p>“I’m going to need some shade for some of the less hearty herbs, but this will let us plant all kinds of fruits and veg.”</p><p>“As long as us doesn’t mean me, you have my full support,” she teased.  </p><p>“Maybe you could bring lemonade from time to time?”</p><p>Phryne nodded and giggled, then looked again at all the work Jack had done.  </p><p>“You’ve done an amazing job, Jack.  It’s really incredible.  You have carte blanche to do anything you want, as far as I’m concerned.  You obviously know what you’re doing.”</p><p>“I’m glad you like it!  It will be nice to have somewhere to putter.”</p><p>They headed back to the table where they’d left the basket and started to unload the food and drink and spread out all their goodies.  Phryne poured them each a drink and sat down, tucking her feet up beneath her. “Where did you get your love of gardening, Jack?  I thought you were from the city.”</p><p>“I am, but I had a favorite aunt and uncle who lived out on a farm and I’d visit them during school breaks.  I think my parents just wanted some time off once school was done for the year, but I loved going out there, helping around the property, eating fresh fruits and vegetables that they’d grown.  It was all a different world and one I really enjoyed.  I went there for at least a month or two every year until I left school and started to work fulltime.”</p><p>“Do you ever go out there now?”</p><p>“No, they’re both gone, about five years ago now.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry, Jack.  They sound like they were really important to you.”</p><p>“They were.  They didn’t have children. I loved my mom and dad, of course, but Aunt Bee and Uncle Frank always took time for me.  Spending time with them are very fond memories.”</p><p>Phryne smiled, “What was the Bee short for?”</p><p>Jack smiled back, “Benjamina, she absolutely hated it.”</p><p>“It’s not that bad, she could have been Phryne.”</p><p>“There’s nothing wrong with Phryne,” he whispered softly.  </p><p>The pair sat quietly, watching the sky grow darker and the city quieter.  Even though Jack had installed lights, he was secretly enjoying the intimacy of sitting in the dark with Phryne.  “Tell me about Janey.”</p><p>Phryne didn’t answer immediately and sipped her wine as she considered how she wanted to reveal what had happened.</p><p>After a few more moments, she began.  “My father was abusive.”</p><p>Phryne looked up, met Jack’s concerned gaze, then looked back down.</p><p>“He wasn’t physically abusive.  It was all mental, and he was really good at it.  I think it’s the worse type of abuse you can inflict on someone, especially children.”</p><p>“There are no marks, so it’s often hard to tell there’s a problem,” Jack offered.</p><p>She nodded.  “I always argued with my father, so I didn’t internalize his mind games to the extent Janey did.  But when she was about fifteen or sixteen, she met a young man that was visiting from America.  He was just a normal boy, from a normal family.  Joshua Perkins.  He was seventeen.”</p><p>“He and Janey became fast friends and Janey found a savior.”</p><p>“She already had that, Phryne, in you.”</p><p>“I tried.  Anyway, Joshua convinced Janey that the best thing would be to leave Australia, and so she did.  She stole a little money from the house, and she got on a plane and went to Colorado.  She was introduced as an exchange student from Australia.  Apparently, Joshua had explained the situation to his family, and they agreed she could stay with them.  She went to high school, and graduated, and even went on to college.”</p><p>“And she never tried to contact you?”</p><p>“She was afraid that Father would find her and try to bring her back.  She didn’t know he’d gone back to the UK by then.”</p><p>“So how did you get reconnected?”</p><p>“Joshua.”</p><p>Phryne stood up and wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cool of the night air.</p><p>“Are you cold? We can go in.”</p><p>“Let me finish, could I just sit…with you there?” Jack realized she was pointing at his lounger, which would hold the two of them easily, so he shifted his hips and let her sit, her back against his chest.  He wrapped his arms around her loosely, and she relaxed into his frame.</p><p>Jack tried to block the feeling of utter contentment he was feeling and made himself focus on the rest of her story.</p><p>“I was at the office one day and received a phone message.  It said to call Joshua, it’s important.  Jack, that message set on my desk for three weeks before I even realized I hadn’t done anything about it.  So, I called the number.”</p><p>“And?”</p><p>“A man answered the phone, I remember his voice was sleepy.  He said hello a few times before I said who I was.  And then he said I’ve been waiting for your call, thank you for calling me back.  He explained that he was close to Janey, and that she was safe, but that she was worried about Father and all of that.  I asked if Janey knew that he had called me and he said no.”</p><p>Phryne turned in his arms.  “That killed me, Jack.  Did Janey not think I wanted to talk to her, that I hadn’t been missing her every day since she’d been gone?  He asked if I’d be willing to come to the States to see her.  He knew I was at the University and we talked about me going as soon as the semester was finished.  So, that’s what I did.”</p><p>Phryne shivered again, “let’s go back in.  Will you come to mine and let me finish telling you the rest?”</p><p>Jack agreed and they both gathered up their gear and headed inside.  “If we wind up spending a lot more time up on the roof, we should figure out how to clean up that stairwell.”  Jack motioned to the simple metal railing and concrete stairwell that went from Phryne’s floor to the upper level.</p><p>“I had that same thought, but I was thinking it would make more sense to leave the stairs as they are and open up the elevator shaft and just let the elevator take you to the top. We would need to have a cover built for the roof, which, of course, led me to think that it would be a great idea to build a full bar up there so if we had parties, we have an actual bar to stage and serve from.”</p><p>“Of course, it did!”</p><p>“I can’t help it if I’m always thinking about how to make a space better,” Phryne walked directly in front of Jack after she dropped off the remnants of their snacks.</p><p>“No, you can’t,” Jack caught her arms and held her to him, “you make everything better.”</p><p>“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she responded in a soft whisper, trying to not overthink the intimacy of the moment.  She started, paused, then started again, “Jack, do you remember—”</p><p>Instead of answering her, he leaned down and kissed her mid-sentence, very reminiscent of their kiss the night he’d had too much to drink.  When they eventually pulled back, he looked sheepish.  “I didn’t know if you wanted me to remember.  I thought it was a dream, but then I realized it actually happened.”</p><p>“Yes, it did,” she whispered.</p><p>“Should I apologize?”</p><p>Phryne smiled and gave a small laugh, and shook her head in response, “absolutely not!”</p><p>He placed his hands on either side of her small waist and hoisted her up on the kitchen counter, “should I do it again?”</p><p>“If you like living dangerously…”</p><p>He kissed her again, his lips soft but seeking, and then slid down her jawline, “How is kissing you dangerous?”</p><p>She placed her palm on his chest and gave a little push, “Jack, I’m not good at your type of man.”</p><p>“Which, of course, begs the questions, what type of man are you good at, and what type of man do you think I am?”  Though he stepped back when she had pushed, he came forward again, enjoying the feel of the inside of her thighs encircling his hips too much to let it go.</p><p>Phryne didn’t answer immediately, but she met his gaze, then looked down as she considered her words carefully. “You’re a good man, a wholesome man who chooses right over wrong, and goes to bed on time, and doesn’t make decisions he’s not proud of.”</p><p>Jack snorted, “Apparently you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”</p><p>“Jack, you know what I mean!”</p><p>“I do, and I’m glad you think so highly of me, but Phryne, I’m a divorced middle-aged man who works way too many hours, doesn’t know how to relax, and can be a bit of a coward.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes, “How could you possibly consider yourself a coward?  Don’t you have to face Melbourne’s criminal lot on a fairly regular basis?  I’m pretty sure that takes you into the seedier parts of town and means you carry a weapon that I know you know how to use and use well.”</p><p>“How do you know that?”</p><p>“I hear things.  Sharpshooter Award for three years in a row, Jack, not exactly a cowardly skillset.”</p><p>Jack bent his head to the side in modesty, “That’s just good hand eye coordination.”</p><p>“Then tell me why you think you’re a coward.”</p><p>It was Jack’s turn to look down now, “Because I’ve been attracted to you ever since I met you and it took twenty years and me being drunk to do anything about it.”</p><p>“You didn’t start drinking so you could kiss me.  You said you were celebrating your divorce.”</p><p>“You might be surprised to know that the two are connected.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“I met you before I was married, and you were always my one that got away.”</p><p>“But you never said anything!?”</p><p>“I wanted to, I just never did.  Coward, remember?  That’s enough talking about me, let’s go back to the original question.  What type of man are you good at?”</p><p>“Good at may be a stretch, but these days I tend to have physical encounters, not relationships.”</p><p>“There’s nothing wrong with a physical encounter.”  Jack pulled her hips toward him, causing her to slide forward to the edge of the countertop and grab his shoulders for support.</p><p>“No, but you’re the kind of guy that does relationships.”</p><p>“Well the last relationship didn’t end too well, so maybe I should try something new.”  </p><p>Their gazes held, both mirroring desire and anticipation.  Phryne broke first with a glance toward her bedroom door across the room but returned, and with only a raised eyebrow, asked a very obvious question. </p><p>Jack’s smile was the response.  Well, that and him pulling Phryne off the counter and carrying her across the room.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for hanging in there with me, more to come!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There's a reason I prefer one chapter stories, thanks for your patience as I get this one wrapped up!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Jack woke to a loud click.  The room was dark and out of habit he reached to the side drawer for his weapon but found himself on the wrong side of the bed.  The memories of last night came flooding back, and he sat up, the sheet draped low across his torso.  “Phryne?”</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t get a response, so the click must have been her stepping out of the room.  Should he get dressed and leave before she came back?  They’d said physical only last night but leaving without saying anything was not his style.  Before he could consider the best course of action, the door cracked open.  Phryne came through dressed in a silky robe, which barely covered the matching gown underneath, carrying a tray.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning,” she whispered, “barely.  I know it’s the middle of the night, but I’m a night owl and I like my tea.”</p><p> </p><p>“I like tea too, though I’m likely going to need more sleep at some point, but good morning.  Why are we whispering?”</p><p> </p><p>She nodded toward the door.  “Sound travels and I wasn’t sure if you would want Mr. Butler to know you were here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, right, well, that’s probably a good idea.”</p><p> </p><p>Phryne set the tray down on a small dressing table and turned to address Jack as she righted the cups and saucers. “I’m perfectly fine for him to know you <em>are</em> here, Jack.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I know, I just…I haven’t done this before, what do you normally do when you have overnight guests?”</p><p> </p><p>“I never have overnight guests here, Jack.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you said—”</p><p> </p><p>Phryne picked up the teapot and poured their tea, “This is my inner sanctum, my home.  I don’t risk my personal safety for a quick sexual release.”  She climbed back into bed and pulled the duvet back over her bare legs.</p><p> </p><p>“As a member of the Victorian Police Force, I applaud your decision.  I know it’s none of my business, but I have to ask, where do you usually go?”</p><p> </p><p>“Often a hotel.  Maybe their place, if it’s a mate.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is it okay that I’m here, then?  I don’t mean for Mr. Butler, I mean for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Phryne nodded.  “You’re not a one-night stand, Jack.  Even though we said last night that we could try a physical-only thing, you’re much more than that to me.”  She paused then continued with a matter-of-fact tone, “And you have been since we first met.”</p><p> </p><p>Jack smiled, “So it wasn’t just me?”</p><p> </p><p>Phryne smiled back and shook her head.  “No. I told myself back then it was a girlhood crush.  You were so dashing and handsome and I was a gangly kid, or at least that’s what it felt like.”</p><p> </p><p>Jack set his cup down and turned back to Phryne, “It seems to me that you’ve grown up just fine, Miss Fisher, but perhaps I should investigate more fully.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do your worst, Inspector, I insist.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I will, Miss Fisher, but might I suggest a change in venue?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t unusual for Mac to keep late hours, and she tried to keep quiet so as not to disturb the other residents of the building as she walked up the stairs and reached the door to her apartment.  It was nice, she decided, that Jack had joined them.  Having a police presence in the building added to their safety, and he was definitely one of the good guys. </p><p> </p><p>“Jaaa-ck!”</p><p> </p><p>Mac whipped around, having assumed she was the only one up. The plaintive cry from across the hall indicated that at least two other people were very definitely awake.  And apparently in the throes of a very satisfying sexual exchange, at least on the woman’s part.  ‘Good for him,’ Mac thought and grinned.  All too often, people became wrapped up in their work and didn’t take the time for socializing, or at the very least, physical release.  Mac pushed open her door, glad to be home and looking forward to catching up on some much-needed sleep. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Jack woke the second time, Phryne was tucked into his side, in his own bed, her soft breath tickling his chest.  He let his free hand drift across his own body and to the top of her curved hip, then down the flat side of her thigh and then back up, but this time along the back of her leg and across the curve of her backside.  The first rays of morning sun streaming through the open window let him see every delectable inch of skin.</p><p> </p><p>“Mmmm,” she moaned and turned into him, feeling his arms wrap around her as she did.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, again,” Jack whispered against her temple.</p><p> </p><p>“Very good,” she adjusted to get more comfortable.  Content to enjoy the quiet of the early hour and the warmth of Jack holding her, Phryne luxuriated in the morning light.</p><p> </p><p>“What was that relocation about, Inspector Robinson?  Not that I have a problem with your apartment but mine has the food, and you have none, I suspect, beyond a couple of granola bars.”</p><p> </p><p>“The door.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your door? Your front door?” She remembered that as soon as they’d walked into his dark apartment, Jack had pushed her against the back of his front door and proceeded to thoroughly kiss her, while freeing her from her robe and then gown.  As she recalled, the silky garments had barely hit the floor and Jack had already moved from her face, down to her neck and clavicle, and continued lower from there.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve had a fantasy ever since the drunken celebration of my divorce.” </p><p> </p><p>“Involving your door?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, the door was the location, but more that instead of you going upstairs that night, I pulled you inside and did what we just did.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ohhh.”</p><p> </p><p>“Was it okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you serious? I’m pretty sure any woman would love what you did.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not everyone.”</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously? Rosie?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not going to go into the details of our sex life, but let’s just say she preferred her mouth, and mine, above the equator.”</p><p> </p><p>“She doesn’t know what she’s missing.” Phryne pulled the sheet to the side and slid down his torso, “but you, my dear Inspector, won’t be missing anything anytime soon.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jack had always been an early riser, but he was pretty sure Phryne was not, at least not by choice.  After spending much of the night and early morning exploring and enjoying one another, he was content to hold her while she caught up on her sleep.</p><p> </p><p>He’d thoroughly enjoyed the playful fun, followed by a bit of recharge before doing it all over again.  At this hour, he knew he wouldn’t go back to sleep and had his tablet in one hand while Phryne continued to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>After a while, he felt her shift and found her watching him read.</p><p> </p><p>She nodded to his tablet and asked, “what have you got there?”</p><p> </p><p>“I usually have several books going at one time, but this particular one is a western.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t let me interrupt you.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s an old favorite, easy to pick up, but easy to put down. Besides, you didn’t finish telling me about Janey last night.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s because someone distracted me, quite voraciously, as I recall.”</p><p> </p><p>“Now that makes me sound like a man-eating dinosaur.”</p><p> </p><p>“I was going for a person with a particularly aggressive appetite of a certain nature.”</p><p> </p><p>“That <em>is</em> better, thank you.  Now, go ahead.  I think you left off that you made arrangements to go see her in America?”</p><p> </p><p>Phryne tried to change positions so she was leaned against Jack’s chest but ended up fighting with the covers instead. </p><p> </p><p>Jack laughed and tried to help, “hold the sheet up,” and then lifted her small form to settle in between his legs and then let Jack pull the sheets back over both of them.  Now where she wanted to be, Phryne continued the story.</p><p> </p><p>“The flight was painfully long, it felt like we’d never get there, but when I got off the plane, there she was.  Just her, standing by herself, with an excited grin and tears streaming down her face.  I was crying too, and we just hugged and cried standing outside of the airport gate.  This adorable grandmother handed us her package of tissue, which made us both giggle.”</p><p> </p><p>Jack laughed and Phryne continued.  “Anyway, we drove to a coffee shop and sat in the back in a booth and just talked.  She and Joshua got married after she finished school and they have had four kids, two boys and two girls.  They live in a nice house with a view of the mountains.”  Phryne turned, “She’s happy, Jack.”</p><p> </p><p>“And what about you?  How did seeing her again make you feel?”</p><p> </p><p>“It was surreal.  I’d pictured her really gone for so many years, always assuming the worse.  She apologized for everything and said she realized that there were probably better ways to have handled all that she was dealing with, but she didn’t regret it, except for the pain it caused me.  It’s obvious her husband and kids are her world.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do your parents know?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, she asked me not to tell them she was alive.  I struggle with that some, a parent losing a child is so hard, but I don’t want to risk losing her again.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a fair point, her relationship with your parents is up to her.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hope she doesn’t regret it though.  My parents are some kind of special, but they do love her, especially my mother.”</p><p> </p><p>Still wrapped in a portion of the sheet, she stretched out and rested her head on her hand, facing Jack.  “I’d love the two of you to meet someday.  Apparently when I mentioned you, I blushed, so my sister already thinks I have a thing for you.”</p><p> </p><p>“And do you?”</p><p> </p><p>“No need to be coy, Inspector, I think I’ve shown you that I have a certain fondness for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Jack grabbed a fistful of sheet and used his fingers to slowly pull the sheet toward him and off her and gave her a seductive, but charmingly boyish grin.  “Show me again?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Melbourne evening was beautiful, the perfect night for an impromptu get together on the roof.  Phryne served as hostess, with Mr. Butler overseeing the food and drinks.  There was no formality in the air, these were all friends, family even. </p><p> </p><p>In a group of about thirty, it was hard to be lonely, but Phryne kept watching for the door to the stairway.  She was not watching for Jack, she told herself, she just wanted to keep tabs on who had showed up, so she could greet them.  Twenty minutes later, when he did show up, she waved at him, quickly noticing he had not come alone.</p><p> </p><p>“Phryne, this is one of my best men, Hugh Collins.  I thought he could do with some down time.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hope you don’t mind me crashing the party, Miss Fisher.  Inspector Robinson insisted that you wouldn’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“He was right, but there is one thing.  It’s Phryne, and I’m pretty sure he’s Jack.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve told him that already,” Jack confirmed.</p><p> </p><p>“For tonight, I must insist.  I’ll be doing good to remember first names, remembering last names on top of that is simply more than I’m willing to handle,” she teased, bringing a slight blush and nod from the young policeman</p><p> </p><p>“If you’ll excuse us, Phryne, I want to introduce him to a few other people.”</p><p> </p><p>Phryne smiled knowingly, and watched the pair walk away.  She and Jack had concocted the idea of a rooftop party while he had made her an easy breakfast of omelet and fruit.  Jack had mentioned that he thought his young constable and her young assistant might be fast friends.</p><p> </p><p>Phryne, in turn, had argued that Dot was a bit headstrong and may not appreciate her boss matchmaking.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m just going to introduce them, Phryne.  Dorothy is a lovely young woman with a good head on her shoulders.  Collins is a young man, who needs a distraction from just being a copper.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe you’re right.  Dot has a bad habit of working from dusk to dawn, and there has to be more to life than work.”  They’d both agreed that they’d only make an introduction happen, anything else was up to them.</p><p> </p><p>As the evening progressed, the laughter grew louder, and an impromptu dance floor became the place to be, with Phryne right out in the middle, moving to the energetic music.  Jack was content to watch from the sidelines, admiring from afar.</p><p> </p><p>“Inspector, would you like another drink?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” he held up his tumbler, “this will last me for a while. Thank you, Mr. Butler.”</p><p> </p><p>“Very good, sir,” the older man said.  “Then perhaps I could get your help with the lights, while I adjust the music to a more relaxing selection?”</p><p> </p><p>Jack had been following the movements of Dorothy and Hugh all evening.  Both seemed shy when he’d introduced them, but a few hours later still found them together.  He’d noticed Dot introduce Hugh to some of their friends, and he’d seen Hugh get her a drink.  Mr. Butler had had a good idea to relaxing the mood, and as the music switched to a more mellow song, Jack reduced the light levels.  When Hugh asked Dot to dance, she smiled shyly and nodded her head.  From his vantage point, Jack smiled, glad he’d been right about these two.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mac had thoroughly enjoyed her day off work and had decided to join the group upstairs. Phryne had texted that a casual get together had been arranged and to come join them when she was free.  After sleeping until well into the afternoon, Mac had cleaned up, handled some chores, and then headed upstairs.</p><p> </p><p>The roof was dimly lit, the warm glow providing the ideal ambiance for a drink and visit with friends.  She made her rounds, hugging those she knew well, and meeting the few people she didn’t.  After graciously accepting a plate of food Mr. Butler had saved for her, she nodded at Dot who was dancing slowly with a handsome young man she didn’t recognize, and then joined Jack where he was sitting at the large sectional, in one of the quieter corners of the rooftop.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Jack, how was your day?”</p><p> </p><p>As Mac sat down and then noticed that she’d missed the fact that leaning against Jack, fast asleep, was Phryne.</p><p> </p><p>“She was the life of the party, earlier.  Then she just curled up and got comfortable,” Jack tried to explain. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure, looks like a pretty good place for a kip”</p><p> </p><p>Just then, Phryne turned into Jack’s side and moaned, and then settled back in. </p><p> </p><p>Jack checked that she was okay, then turned back to Mac, trying to act like this was all completely natural.</p><p> </p><p>“Phryne must have been really tired to fall asleep in the middle of her own party.  She tends to last until the early morning hours.  It’s almost like she was kept up late last night.”</p><p> </p><p>Jack shrugged in response, his own brain too tired to come up with a response that wouldn’t reveal more than he should. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you think I should wake her, maybe she’s coming down with something?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure she’s just tired, Mac, you know how she pushes herself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or maybe she was having the world’s loudest orgasm on the back of your front door at 2:30 this morning?”</p><p> </p><p>Her look was pointed, possibly accusatory, but Jack’s response was silence.  Not one to back down, Mac waited for him to say something.</p><p> </p><p>“I love her, Mac.”</p><p> </p><p>Mac wasn’t sure what she expected, but a declaration of love for her friend who had basically all but given up on relationships was not it.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know how she feels about me, well, I mean I don’t know what this all means, but I’m not taking advantage of her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is she taking advantage of you?”</p><p> </p><p>Jack laughed softly, “maybe, but I’m a willing participant.”</p><p> </p><p>“And how long has this been going on?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not even 24 hours.  Will you keep it to yourself for now? Let us figure it out.  It may be nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>It was Mac’s time to turn pensive.  “But you want it to be? More than nothing?”</p><p> </p><p>“We both have some history, with each other and with past relationships. I’d be an idiot to not try.”</p><p> </p><p>Mac nodded, “She’s had a rough time of it, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s told me some, I suspect not everything.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I wish you the best of luck, Jack Robinson.  I can’t think of a man with more of a chance of getting it right.”</p><p> </p><p>Jack smiled appreciatively at Mac’s vote of support, hoping it was a sign that he might actually have a chance.</p><p> </p><p>“Now, tell me about this bloke dancing with Dotty?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for sharing your comments, I truly appreciate your support! Just a couple of more chapters to go, I think.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jack has to do his job, and that can cause problems.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It his been way too long, my apologies, dear reader!! You may want to read the earlier chapters again...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The echoing sounds of the gymnasium took Jack back to his school days.  He had been a decent student, but he had always excelled in sports and found himself more comfortable in a gym than a classroom.</p><p>As an adult, his exercise tended to be found outdoors, a run around the park or even better, a long bicycle ride on a winding trail.  He smiled to himself, thinking about his more recent preference for a good workout which was in Phryne’s apartment, or his, or the rooftop, or various other spots where they’d been appropriately, or not-so-appropriately, inspired.</p><p>Jack walked toward the group of students in the middle of the large space, which seemed to be led by Phryne.  She was dressed in yoga pants and tank top with a flowing top over that and her wavy hair was pulled out of the way into a loose ponytail.  </p><p>When she saw Jack, she turned to her students, “Ladies, let’s take five minutes, get some water, and then we’ll go through some more drills when we come back,” then walked over to meet him.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” she asked.  She was more than pleased to see him, but surprised, he’d never been to campus before.</p><p>“I’ve just been given an assignment that’s going to take me out of town for a bit”</p><p>“What, like a week?</p><p>“Probably at least a month.”</p><p>“Oh!”</p><p>“I wanted to tell you in person, I need to report in this evening.”</p><p>“I’m glad I could see you before you go.  Is the assignment particularly intriguing?”</p><p>“Nothing I can tell you about, but out of 10, I’d give it about a 3 on the exciting scale.”</p><p>“How about on the danger scale?”</p><p>Jack smiled, “How kind of you to care, Dr. Fisher. I’d say about a 2, unless Perkins brings his pepper crisps, and then maybe a 5, but that’s more for air quality.”</p><p>They both laughed, but it was restrained.  They both understood the seriousness and potential risk of this type of assignment.</p><p>“Do you have a few minutes to help me out? We could use a bad guy in our role plays.”</p><p>“You mean like be your attacker?  Are you teaching self-defense?”</p><p>“Yes, I sponsor ladies’ events for freshmen in our college and I do find that knowing how to protect yourself comes in handy, whether they decide to go into criminal justice or if they go out with mates.”</p><p>Jack knew she was right and shrugged before agreeing then followed her over to the group.</p><p>“Attention everyone, this is Senior Detective Jack Robinson.  Detective Robinson has agreed to help us with some of the scenarios I was explaining earlier.”</p><p>Jack pulled off his jacket and tossed it on a folding chair along the edge of the mat, then stepped forward to where Phryne was waiting, doing his best to ignore the whispers and giggles of the group of young ladies.</p><p>“Just grab me from behind.”</p><p>He did as he was told, barely holding her in place.  She turned her head, “you’re going to have to do a little better than that, Jack, we’re trying to learn something here. Come at me from behind and put your forearm around my throat.”</p><p>He did as she asked. The posture still wasn’t as aggressive as it could have been, but his size gave him the upper hand.</p><p>Without pausing, Phryne grabbed his arm, squatted and pulled him forward so he flipped over her shoulder and down to the mat below.  The girls cheered and when he looked up at Phryne, she was smiling, fully in her element.</p><p>“You have to squat into them, trying to line up your hips to get enough mass lower down so you can pull your attacker over,” she told her students.  “If your attacker is much taller than you, though, you may want to try a different approach.”</p><p>“You up for another one, Inspector?”</p><p>Jack jumped up, and being the good sport he was, lined up for the next position.</p><p>Forty minutes later, while the girls worked on their last series of role plays, Jack motioned toward the door and Phryne followed.  In the privacy of the hall, she stepped forward and kissed him softly.</p><p>“I don’t want to go on this assignment,” he muttered.</p><p>“Yes, you do.”</p><p>He smiled, “Okay, I do, but I don’t want to leave you.”</p><p>“That’s better, and I don’t want you to leave me either but I’ll be here when you get back.”</p><p>“It’s not really fair for me to ask you to wait for me.”</p><p>“You’re not asking, at least not that I’ve heard, but I am telling you that when you come back, I will be here, ready to welcome you with open arms.”</p><p>Jack took a heartening breath, “but if you need…” he tried to decide on the right phrase, “physical release—”</p><p>“Jack Robinson, are you seriously concerned that I can’t go without sex for the amount of time you’ll be gone?” Phryne whispered her question, but the tone of disbelief was clearly evident.</p><p>“You have an amazing drive, and you’re self-confident and strong!”</p><p>“Yes, strong enough to use other methods of satisfaction if my preferred partner is not available to me.” Her flirtatious tone stopped, “Unless this is your way of saying that you don’t want to be…with me?”</p><p>In response, he quickly glanced up and down the corridor, then leaned down and devoured her lips, trying to convey every ounce of want he was feeling, both physical and emotional.</p><p>Only the sound of giggling from inside the gymnasium made him pull back.</p><p>“I’ll call or text when I can.”</p><p>“I’d really like that.”</p><p>“But if I can’t—”</p><p>“Then we’ll have lots to talk about when you come home.”</p><p>He nodded with a shy smile, “I need to go.”</p><p>“Take care of yourself, please, Jack.”</p><p>“I will, you too, Phryne.”</p><p>She watched him walk down the corridor and was still watching when he paused and looked back.  She wanted to run into his arms, but instead she raised her hand and waved, then watched him do the same in return.  </p><p>00000</p><p>For the first weeks, they texted every few days and talked once in a while.  Phryne had no idea what the assignment was, though one night when they had connected, she tried to work it out.</p><p>“Are you in the city?”</p><p>“I can’t tell you anything about the assignment, love, you know that.”</p><p>“Are you in a room?”</p><p>“Phryne!”</p><p>“Are you in a building?”</p><p>He sighed, “Yes, I’m in a building.”</p><p>“Are you in Australia?”</p><p>He laughed at that one, “Yes, I’m in Australia.  I’ll go a step further and say I’m in Victoria.”</p><p>She laughed too, “I’ll stop there, even knowing that much makes me feel better.”</p><p>“Good! Now are you going up and checking on my plants?  I’d feel better if they were being looked after.”</p><p>“I’ll ask Mr. B to take a look, or if you think I should hire a gardener to come consult, but you really don’t want me anywhere near them.”</p><p>“If the weather changes drastically, bring someone in, okay? As long as it’s warm, they should be fine.”</p><p>“Is it cool where you are?” Phryne asked in a whispered tone, knowing he couldn’t really say.</p><p>He didn’t respond right away, but after a minute she heard a door close on the other side of the line.  “Yeah, it is but I’m inside so it’s really not an issue.”</p><p>“Thank you for telling me that, Jack.  This is harder than I thought it would be.”</p><p>“It is for me, too.  I wish I could have a day off and come see you.”</p><p>“But we both know you can’t.  Just focus on what you’re doing there, and don’t worry about me.  Life here is predictable, just not as much fun without you.”</p><p>As the assignment continued on, the frequency of their calls decreased, not for lack of trying, of course.  He would call, and she was in class, or she would call, and he was unavailable.  He couldn’t say much about what he was doing, and she didn’t assume he cared for any level of detail on her classes or other business.</p><p>One particular morning, his watch said 10:30, he settled into his bed, exhausted from a particularly long stretch of short nights.  Jack’s area of responsibility on this assignment required him to be awake when the suspects were active, which was when most normal people were sleeping.  His boss and the rest of the unit needed reports and updated information, so erratic was the new normal.  Jack’s small room was dim and windowless, but clean, and consisted of a bed, a desk and a chair with one small lamp that sat on the desk.  His going to bed routine was brief: he brushed his teeth, wiped his face, and laid his suit over the back of the chair.  He didn’t turn off the lamp, without it he’d wake up to pitch black which he found disorienting, but turned the bulb down to a dimmer level, then climbed into bed.  The thin sheet and rough blanket were hardly luxurious though still welcome.  Jack carried his personal cell phone to the bed with him, which stayed in his room during working hours.  </p><p>He hadn’t talked to Phryne in over a week, but he had a voicemail from her and hurried to get settled so he could listen to it.</p><p>‘Hi Jack, it’s me.  It’s Tuesday.  I just wanted to hear your voice.’ There was a long pause, but then she continued, ‘I almost hung up after I heard your voicemail message but thought maybe you’d like to hear my voice too?  I had a rough day today, and if I knew where you were, I probably would have come to you.  I’m fine, there’s nothing to worry about, but one of your hugs would go a long, long way right about now.  I, uh, find that I don’t care for being apart from you and that’s different for me.  I hope I don’t sound clingy…ugghh, I hate a clingy woman, but you may like to know that I am thinking of you and that you are missed.  Anyway, I’ve probably prattled on enough, so I guess I’ll let you go.  Bye, Jack.”</p><p>He needed sleep, desperately, but he didn’t want to put off a response.</p><p>“Hi love, it’s me.  It’s Friday, I think.  I’m not getting enough sleep which is the only reason I’m just now responding.  Some days I’m not getting any, and sometimes I don’t have enough energy to do anything but fall into bed.  I go to sleep thinking about you.  I picture you in my bed, all curled up and sleepy, and warm.  It’s really cold here and the blankets are not anywhere close to what you and I would consider normal.  They suffice but they don’t bring much comfort.  I’m sorry you’ve had a bad day, I wish I was there, I would have wrapped my arms around you and held you for as long as you needed me to.  When I get home, I’d like to take you in my arms, and sleep and then wake you up and make love to you, then sleep some more, and repeat over and over and over again until you beg me to stop.  I, umm, I miss you, Phryne.  So much.”</p><p>After that, she didn’t hear from him again for two months.</p><p>00000</p><p>At mid-morning on a Saturday, the lobby of the building he called home was deserted.  The retail shops were open, but none of the offices were.  Jack pushed through the revolving glass door with his backpack slung over his shoulder, desperately in need of food, a shower, and sleep, preferably in that order. The team had reconnected back at the station early this morning and went through a quick debrief.  There would be a few more days of case review but the rest of today was his, and all he wanted to do was see Phryne and with that thought, took the stairs two at a time.</p><p>His responsibility at the start of the assignment had been communications, but one of the operatives had fallen ill, so Jack had been selected to take his place.  Stepping up the role of front man meant that he had had to be “on” at all times, but also that he lost all communication to the outside world.  He’d dreamed of Phryne and had missed her more than he would have thought possible.  He kept comparing this time away with the time he’d served in the military.  He’d been married then, and had been gone for almost a full year, but he hadn’t missed Rosie near as much as he’d been missing Phryne.</p><p>Energized to see her again, Jack started up the stairs, opting to skip his apartment and head up to see if Phryne was home.  Just a few steps up, he stopped when he heard a voice coming from the floor above that he didn’t recognize.  </p><p>“Would you mind if I had some friends over, I think they’d love to meet you.”</p><p>Each landing in between floors had a mirror to bring sunlight into the stairway, and from his vantage point below, he could see the reflection of a blonde-haired shirtless man with a chiseled chest and deep tan.  The younger man was standing at the island, fixing something to eat, Jack assumed, and obviously very comfortable in his surroundings.  </p><p>Just then, Phryne came to the refrigerator, wrapped in one of her favorite silk robes.  She looked like she’d just crawled out of bed, still flushed from her face tucked into her pillow and her hair mussed by sleep.  She leaned up and kissed the man’s cheek, then closed the refrigerator with the cream pitcher in hand.</p><p>“Not at all, darling.  Mr. Butler can help with food if you want to make it a party.”</p><p>“That might be fun, thanks!”</p><p>“Think nothing of it!  I’m just so glad you’re here!  I have an appointment in about an hour, but after that I should be in for the rest of the day!  I can’t wait to meet your friends!”</p><p>Jack watched as Phryne paused again and hugged the man around his waist and couldn’t tear his eyes away when the man hugged her back.  Hers was a tight hug, the kind she gave him. Jack moved back down one step, and another, then another.</p><p>00000</p><p>This meeting was such a nuisance, Phryne concluded, as she stepped off the elevator and headed toward her appointment.  A student at the college had written an article publicizing the fact that Doctor Charles Sterling, her boss, only hired women, and only attractive women for his internships.  The article had been printed in the college paper and had been picked up by the local Melbourne paper too, including pictures of some of the interns over the last ten years.  The student writer, and a former student, had asked Phryne if she’d be willing to be interviewed.  She had agreed and a few of her quotes including that the college received several hundred applications each year and what the interview process entailed were included in the final article.  The young author had done a good job with the article, but the media, of course, had blown Phryne’s words and the author’s article into a much bigger spectacle.  </p><p>The article was an instant sensation and resulted in an interruption of Phryne’s day to day life, with voicemails, phone calls, and even photographers trying to get follow up comments and sound bites.  Since the attention would force the college to look into the accusations, Phryne tried to tolerate the annoyance.  Having Sterling called on the carpet for his antiquated and narrow-minded ways would be worth it.</p><p>The person Phryne was meeting was with now, however, was the best of blokes, like a father figure to her, and in this situation, exactly what she needed.</p><p>“I can’t make the photographers stop following you, Phryne.”</p><p>“I understand that Tom, but I’m concerned that all this publicity could cause more problems…for others.”</p><p>Her lawyer, Thomas Jester, was also a friend whom she’d met in some of her earlier coursework.  Tom was an older man, with more than a smattering of gray at his temples, giving him a distinguished look.  To her, he’d always had a fatherly demeanor, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.</p><p>“I know, you told me about Jack, remember?”</p><p>“I just, I don’t want…if we were to become more—”</p><p>“He’s out on assignment, right?”</p><p>“Yes, and I’m not sure for how long.  This media attention is ludicrous. I keep thinking it will quiet down, but then the cameras are still waiting for me at the sidewalk outside of my building.  Jack lives in the same building, so even if we weren’t in a relationship, this could affect him negatively.  I don’t want my actions to jeopardize his work or his position.”</p><p>“I never thought I’d see the day!  My very own Phryne Fisher!! </p><p>“What?” She looked across the room at him quizzically.</p><p>“You’re in love, m’girl!”</p><p>“Why would you say that?”</p><p>“Because, you are.  You radiate with it.  You’re more concerned about him than yourself and it’s the most wonderful thing to see.”</p><p>“You of all people know my history, Tom.  I am very fond of Jack, but what we have is still early days.”</p><p>“Still, you wear it well.”</p><p>“Back to the reporters?  Is there anything you can do?”</p><p>“I will do what I can on my end, but maybe walk out the back of the building, or take a cab instead of walking everywhere?”</p><p>“I need my coffee, Tom, you know that!”</p><p>“It will die down, I promise.  You’re a strong woman who expressed facts to another seemingly smart woman who knew how to use her words to get people thinking.  And from what you’ve told me, him hiring all women is just the tip of the iceberg, right?   For now, the bad light is all about Professor Sterling, not you.  You’re just a celebrity.  </p><p>“I could be wrong, but I don’t think Jack would appreciate being associated with a celebrity.”</p><p>000000</p><p>In all the time Jack had been away on assignment, especially after they’d lost the opportunity for regular contact, Phryne relied on Hugh Collins and his growing friendship with Dottie to make sure there had been no worrisome developments in Jack’s case.  </p><p>If she was being completely honest with herself, she wanted to make sure he hadn’t been hurt, or worse.  </p><p>On one particular afternoon, she popped in the station to see if Hugh had any news and found him sitting at his desk in the bullpen.  The officers, especially those at the station’s front desk had become used to her stopping by and already knew who she was here to see and allowed her to go on up to the upper floor where Hugh worked.</p><p>“Hello, Hugh, how are you today?”</p><p>Hugh stood, and motioned to the wooden chair at the side of his desk.  “Great!  Shift is almost over, and tomorrow is a day off, couldn’t ask for more than that.”</p><p>“With Jack gone, you’ve really been putting in the extra hours, I know you’ll be glad when he’s back.”</p><p>Hugh looked confused, “Phryne, he is back.  He reported back on Monday.”</p><p>“That’s been three days,” she reasoned, “Is he okay?”</p><p>“Yes, he came in the office yesterday to wrap up his notes for the assignment.”</p><p>“But he is okay?” Phryne asked again, more concern in her voice this time.</p><p>“Yes, he seemed fine.” Hugh paused, “Tired, and like he needed a good meal or three, but fine.”</p><p>Phryne nodded and braved a smile.  Why wouldn’t Jack let her know he was home?  </p><p>000000</p><p>Phryne knocked on the heavy wooden door of Jack’s apartment.  Two days had passed since Hugh had shared that Jack had made it back home, and he still had yet to contact her.  </p><p>Her first thought had been patience.  He had to have been mentally and physically exhausted after such a long assignment, and he probably had to file reports for the assignment to come to an official end.</p><p>Then had come doubt.  When he’d left, he’d come by the college to say goodbye. That action alone indicated more than a friendship.  Their physical relationship was by far the best she’d been a part of, where she felt they were equals, both willing to step back when the other had a particular need to call the shots.  Had the mere passing of time caused his interest to diminish?  </p><p>The third phase of her emotional processing was anger.  How dare he just ignore her? What kind of respect was that to abruptly stop communicating?  During the assignment, she had rationalized a handful of reasons why he may not have been able to call or text but to come back and not even let her know he was home? That wasn’t just being a crappy friend, that was being a crappy human.</p><p>After she knocked, she was reminded that as the owner of the building, she had the right to enter his apartment, but shook her head.  She’d promised herself that if she confronted him, she needed to remain calm and rational until she knew what was really going on.</p><p>Suddenly, the door swung opened, and there he was.  Without a pause, she lunged forward and hugged him, relieved to feel his arms automatically wrap around her too, though he didn’t hug back with much enthusiasm.  She pulled back and before he could even say anything, she noticed his living room was full of cardboard boxes.</p><p>“Are you going somewhere?”</p><p>“Umm, yes, I thought I would find an apartment.  Something smaller, this really is too much space for me.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“You’ve been really generous letting me stay here but with the circumstances being different, I decided a change was probably for the best.”</p><p>“I understand,” though she didn’t, not at all.  Then it occurred to her that he may have been troubled by the media since he’d been back. “All the excitement is starting to die down, you know, so it won’t be like this forever.  I can pretty much come and go as I please, though at the office it’s still a bit of a challenge.”</p><p>“So he’s a student?”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“Your new friend.”  Jack drug a hand across his face, in what seemed to be frustration.</p><p>“Jack, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.  The media has been insane though I certainly wouldn’t consider any of them friends.”</p><p>“No, I mean the half-naked man that was in your kitchen.  I saw him there, on Saturday.  That friend.  Look, Phryne, I kind of put all of me into our….um, into us and I find I don’t have a lot left for hashing this out.  I understand that I was gone for a while and that other men may suit you better, but I’m still processing the um, situation.”</p><p>She could see by the tenseness in his jaw that he was fighting emotion, and moved toward him, but he held his hands out and took a step back.</p><p>“It’s okay, we had a great time and I will always treasure what we did have, I was just surprised, you know, to come back and find that everything was different.  I blame it all on the assignment but that is part of my job, and I’m truly sorry I couldn’t be what you needed me to be and that I wasn’t here for you.”</p><p>“Are you breaking up with me?” she didn’t try to fight her emotion, her voice heavy with disbelief.</p><p>“What is there to break?” Jack smiled weakly.  “We had some fun times, but we didn’t have a commitment.  We said that, just physical.  You’re free to live your life as you prefer.”</p><p>It would have shocked her less if he’d slapped her.</p><p>“I was committed to you, Jack.  I thought,” she paused, “I thought you felt that way about me too.  You could have been gone a year and that wouldn’t have changed, at least for me.”  She took a deep breath, finding strength that she didn’t feel, and gave a tight wide smile.  “It appears I misunderstood.”  </p><p>She turned to head back toward the door.  “Don’t feel like you need to move out, you have a lease.”</p><p>“I can’t stay here, Phryne.  I can’t watch you with him!”</p><p>“I don’t know who you’re talking about, Jack!  There is no him!” she shouted.</p><p>Jack replied just as vehemently, his arms flailing, the hurt evident in his tone, “I saw him, I saw him with my own eyes!  He was tan and fit, and blonde, and he hugged you, like I used to.  And you hugged him back, and you called him darling.”  </p><p>She stared back at him, and he did the same, both of their faces mirroring pain and confusion.  </p><p>Then it occurred to her who he’d seen.</p><p>Her voice was a whisper, her tone eerily calm, “that’s Matt.  He’s been here for a few weeks, and he’ll be returning home in a few more weeks.  He’s here on a break from University.  From Colorado, where he lives with his mother, Janey.  He’s my nephew, Jack.”</p><p>He walked toward her, and this time she stepped back in reaction.  “No, no, you’ve made it clear that we’re not on the same page.”</p><p>With those quiet words came an epiphany for Phryne.  She thought this relationship could be different, that they might be different.  Her father and Rene had already taught her that love was just a word, and instead of joy and safety, in her experience, love equaled pain.  With her father, the pain was mental, with Rene, physical.</p><p>The realization came hard but could not be denied.  Jack Robinson was the best of men, but with him, there was still pain, and she could feel it burning in her chest, her heart hurting at the truth. The common denominator in all of those relationships, was Phryne herself.  She knew she wasn’t the perfect partner, but she also knew she only had herself to rely on.  And that she had the power to remove herself from the pain.  She’d done it twice before; she could do it again. Phryne turned and walked toward the door but paused as she put her hand on the knob. </p><p>“Goodbye, Jack.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Feedback is appreciated! Thanks for reading!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Absence makes the heart grow fonder? These two are smart, surely they'll figure it out.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Get up, woman!”</p><p>Mac headed toward the wall of windows at the end of Phryne’s bedroom and tugged at the tall fabric panel, letting the afternoon light stream into the room.<br/>She turned to the bed, where her best friend had buried herself under a thick duvet. Mac had heard from Mr. Butler that Phryne was lying low, and she felt her role as best friend required her to intervene, “I’ll come pull the covers off next, if that’s what it takes.”</p><p>“Don’t you dare!”  The response was muffled by cotton but came across clear enough.</p><p>“Then stop acting like such a ninny and talk to me.”</p><p>A few moments passed, but Phryne eventually pushed herself up in bed, then pulled the covers tight under her arms, and gave Mac a petulant glare.  </p><p>“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Mac said as she perched on the end of the bed.</p><p>“Mac, I’m tired, can we do this another time?”</p><p>“It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon, you’re not tired, you’re brooding.  What happened?”</p><p>Phryne let her eyes meet Mac’s and their looks volleyed back and forth.</p><p>“I was an idiot.  He was an idiot.”  Then in a smaller voice, “it’s over.”</p><p>“This isn’t like you to pine over a man.”</p><p>“I’m not pining.”  A thought suddenly occurred to Phryne, “Did you hear us?”</p><p>“Many, many times, I’m afraid.”</p><p>The look of annoyance from Phryne made Mac smile.</p><p>“I heard yelling, and I heard you say goodbye, and I heard him slam a door and go downstairs a few minutes later.”</p><p>Phryne pulled a pillow over and hugged it to her chest but pasted a wide, but obviously forced, smile on her face.  “Well, that was the highlight reel.”  </p><p>“So, what now?”</p><p>“Nothing, Mac.  This is no different from any other ill-advised association with the opposite sex.”</p><p>“Phryne?” her friend whispered, her tone saying that she was there for her and that Phryne’s bravado was not necessary.</p><p>“I’m fine,” she looked up, “really.”  Phryne picked at a fine thread at the edge of the duvet, “He was a good guy, though.”</p><p>“Still is, love.  Maybe give it some time?”</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>Three Months Later</p><p>The first day of the term brought that wonderful feeling of anticipation, even for the instructor, and even at the University level.  As she walked through campus, Phryne let herself reflect on the last couple of months, soaking up the charm of her surroundings as she walked.  Today had gone well, with bright eyed students filling the auditorium where she taught Intro to Criminal Justice.  Intro was the biggest class each term by far, and though she didn’t get to know many of the students, it was her favorite to teach.  </p><p>Starting school, many of the younger students often lacked a firm grasp on what their future held, and her practiced eye could identify within a few weeks who was likely to pursue Criminology and who should probably continue to explore other avenues.  </p><p>This was good.  Focusing on her professional life was an excellent distraction from per personal life, or what had been her personal life.</p><p>She sighed, she missed Jack.  There, she admitted it.  </p><p>They’d had one very confusing and tense conversation and in an instant, the relationship she was starting to let herself get excited about had ceased to exist.</p><p>Phryne had picked up her cell several times to text Jack to meet for coffee, but always caught herself before sending a message.  What would she say? Since you didn’t have blind faith in me after being gone for months, we can’t be together anymore?</p><p>She was an idiot.  He was an idiot too, for not trying to stop her.  The whole situation, him being upset and her reacting the way she did was crazy.  Why didn’t she stay calm and say they should talk about it? Why didn’t Jack ask about what he thought he’d seen instead of reacting like a jealous lover? Why did it hurt so much that he assumed she’d strayed while he was away?</p><p>That was the thought going through her mind when she heard a loud roar behind her, then the world went black.</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>“Are you ready, Hugh?”</p><p>Jack had been locked away in his office most of the morning trying to focus on some required online training, his least favorite part of his job, so the distraction of Dorothy Williams’ voice outside in the hall later that afternoon was a welcome one.  </p><p>At least his short-lived relationship with Phryne had one positive outcome.  Dot and Hugh were perfect for one another.  Unlike he and Phryne that had heated up fast and fizzled out just as quickly, Dot and Hugh actually dated.  Hugh could be counted on to share details of the couple’s frequent outings.  </p><p>The only downside of that blossoming relationship is that Dot worked for Phryne, though the young lady said very little about his employer.  Not that Phryne’s life was his business, not anymore, but he still wanted to know how she was doing.  Was she happy? Did she ever think about him? Was she seeing someone else?  </p><p>“Inspector, I’m going to head out, have a good evening.”</p><p>“Thank you, Constable.  Do you and Miss Williams have big plans?”</p><p>“Um, no, we’re just going to visit…um, a friend of ours who’s in the hospital.”</p><p>“Nothing too serious, I hope?”</p><p>“I’m not sure, actually, she was hit by a car and I don’t really know the details yet.”</p><p>“It didn’t come through us, then?” Jack’s nature was inquisitive, but also observant, and he observed that his questions were making Hugh uncomfortable.</p><p>“No, it was closer to campus, so North station got the call.”</p><p>“Hmm, well I hope your friend is on the mend.”</p><p>“Thank you, sir.  Goodnight!”</p><p>Hugh’s nervousness seemed an important sign and paired with his mention of campus, Jack’s gut clenched. He waited about five minutes before he picked up the phone, “Hey Jimmy, it’s Jack Robinson over at South.  What can you tell me about a pedestrian hit by a car at the University? Does that one sound familiar, I think it came in for your crew earlier today?”</p><p>“Hey Jack!  Right, I did hear about that one, give me a second.”</p><p>Jack could hear the clicking of a keyboard through the phone and was relieved his colleague didn’t ask why Jack wanted to know.  </p><p>“Ah, here it is.  Female pedestrian hit, unconscious at the scene, or so the notes say.  There were quite a few witnesses, so we’re chasing down leads, but nothing in the case notes yet.”</p><p>“Was the victim a student?”</p><p>“Uh, let me see….female, late 30s, but not a student, says she was a professor.”</p><p>“Do you have an ID?”</p><p>“Yes, I’m not sure how to pronounce that first name, but it starts with a P, and the last name is Fisher.”</p><p>Jack grabbed his coat and phone and raced out of his office.</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>He sat in the hospital parking lot for twenty minutes before he opened his car door and went inside.  The lobby was quiet, and with the flash of his badge, Jack was immediately given instructions on where to find Phryne.</p><p>Phryne</p><p>For months, every time her name popped up in his head, he’d made himself push it away and focus on something else.  After his assignment wrapped up, he’d been given two weeks of leave and following his blow up with Phryne, he grabbed a bag and headed straight to his parent’s house.  He told his mother he just needed to catch up on sleep, which was partly true, but he needed to process how to get on with his normal routine without Phryne in it.  </p><p>He’d been a fool to imagine that he could have built a life with her, and even though he tried to avoid dwelling on thoughts like her laugh, and amazing strength, and adorableness when she was roused too early, he often couldn’t, and instead would recount what he should have said or not said on that fateful day.  He couldn’t blame Phryne for calling it off, he’d behaved and said things that were inexcusable. It hurt though that it had been that easy for her to walk away.  You pushed her to it, mate, he told himself, you have no one to blame but yourself.</p><p>Once he found the right hallway, Jack ran into Mac, and though she looked surprised, she smiled as he approached.</p><p>“Would you like to see her?”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“She had a run in with a vehicle, and the vehicle won.”</p><p>“Is she---”</p><p>“She’s going to be fine, eventually, but she’ll be here for a few days at least.  None of her injuries are life threatening, thankfully, but we want to keep an eye on her.  Do you want to---?” Mac nodded toward the door.</p><p>“No, I don’t think she would want to see me.”</p><p>“She’s sedated, Jack, she’s not seeing anything right now.”</p><p>“Even so…”</p><p>“Look, Jack, I don’t know many details of what happened with the two of you, but before you became more, you were friends, and that woman could use and deserves all the friends she can get right now.”</p><p>He nodded, hoping Mac didn’t see the shame he was feeling.  He had decided the full fault of why he and Phryne weren’t together was his.  He’d been an idiot; he’d rushed in and let his foolish pride take over, and in essence, destroyed the most meaningful relationship he’d ever had.  Mac was right, Phryne needed support, and she shouldn’t not get it just because he was a fool.  “Maybe I could stay here in the hall or sit with her while she’s sleeping.”</p><p>“I think she’d like that.”</p><p>Jack nodded, and gave a quick smile, then took off his coat, and sat down.  </p><p>“Good man.  I’ll have someone bring you a sandwich in a few minutes.”  Mac headed down the hall but hesitated after a few seconds.  “We’ve missed you, Jack, all of us.”</p><p>As the evening hours wore on, the corridors became more and more quiet.  Jack stepped away for a few minutes, and when he came back, he pushed open the door to Phryne’s room, and paused.  The vibrant beautiful woman he knew, and loved, he admitted to himself, looked tiny in the wide bed.</p><p>Jack moved forward into the private room and closed the door behind him, holding on to the handle until it latched completely, trying to avoid any sound.  Once the door clicked, he made sure she was still asleep, then moved to the side of the bed and pulled up the visitor’s chair.  He couldn’t help touching her hand that rested against the sterile white sheet.  The contact felt like an electric shock to him, but Phryne remained still.  Jack watched her face as he brushed his fingers across the top of her hand and then wrapped his hand around hers, finding relief in the contact.  Keeping his hand where it was, Jack leaned back in the chair, resting his head where he could gaze at Phryne, and after a while, let his eyes close.</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>After the better part of a week, Phryne was released from the hospital.  Since both a full-time butler, who was happy to serve as caregiver, and her doctor, lived in the same building, her recovery would be at home.</p><p>“I’ll be fine, Mac, I promise.  Mr. Butler is close, and I have emails, work, and programs to catch up on, so I’ll be fully occupied.”  Phryne really had recovered, and considering she’d been hit by a car, was extremely fortunate to have left the hospital with only a few lingering aches and pains.  </p><p>“Good, but I’m just downstairs, if you need me.  Have you heard anything back from the police about the car who hit you?”</p><p>“The students that witnessed it were helpful and gave a good description to the detective assigned to the case,” Phryne shared.</p><p>It was unspoken, of course, that the assigned officer wouldn’t have been Jack, even though they both knew he would have been the best man for the job.  </p><p>Mac watched her friend’s expression shift to distressed, “What is it, Phryne?”</p><p>“Mac, I could almost feel him with me at the hospital. I would wake in the morning and I could smell him.  I need to put that all behind me, but my subconscious isn’t helping.”</p><p>Mac sat down next to her on the chaise, she didn’t have to ask who Phryne was talking about.  “He was there, love, he came three nights in a row and sat at your side, holding your hand, until the last night when I told him you weren’t going to be sedated.  He felt you wouldn’t want him there, so he didn’t stay.”</p><p>“Really?” her chest fluttered spontaneously, “that was very kind of him.”</p><p>“Kind?”</p><p>“Yes, but I’m sure he’ll be relieved to get back to his normal life.”</p><p>“Phryne, I get the feeling you don’t want to talk about this, but I have to ask.  What actually happened?  You were so in love.  Was it just him being gone so long?”</p><p>“I never said we were in love!”</p><p>“It was clear to anyone who spent any time with you.”</p><p>“Still, sometimes these things don’t work out.”</p><p>“Have you considered calling him? Maybe with a little time behind you, whatever disagreement you had could be sorted out.”</p><p>“Mac, I’ve had to come to terms with this, I have.  I love you for assuming that whatever Jack and I had was the real thing, but my history has taught me that some people aren’t made for relationships.  I’m not sure if it’s my independence, or strong opinions, or unwillingness to change for someone else, but I’ve experienced enough relationships to know that some people aren’t meant for a lasting relationship, and I’m one of those people.”</p><p>Mac stared at Phryne, “You know I love you, and we’ve been friends since we were girls.  I call bullshit, Phryne.  You are the most loving, sincere, intelligent, caring person I know.  You are the most deserving person of a lasting relationship, and if those idiots can’t see it, you may be better off without them.  But I won’t have you thinking you aren’t anything but amazing.”</p><p>Phryne smiled, tears in her eyes at Mac’s rant.  “I love you too, Mac.”</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>Seeing Phryne in the hospital had served as a type of closure for Jack, but at the same time, as salt in the wound.  They ended so abruptly, the time to sit with her quietly felt like a reprieve from the instant end to their time together.  It also made him yearn for more time, to talk to her when she was awake.  He wondered if she’d have him removed from her room or be happy to see him if she was conscious.  Wonder is all he did though, as soon as Mac told him that she wasn’t going to be sedated, he stayed away.</p><p>He knew she had fully recovered, he had too many connections with Mac and Dot to not know she’d settled in at home and was quickly back to work.  Plus, he’d followed up on her case and tried to offer what he knew about her troubles at the university to shed light on who might want her silenced.  After sharing a drink with the detective assigned to her case, and filling him in on Phryne’s background, the case gained momentum, witness notes were compared, and an arrest was made within a week of the accident.</p><p>Four different witnesses had identified the driver, who almost immediately revealed who had hired him, and from there the case moved quickly. The head of her department, Dr. Sterling, confessed to paying a student to run down Phryne for her involvement in the scandal about his discriminatory hiring of interns.  The poor student that he’d paid was almost as much as a victim as Phryne.  He didn’t know what he was doing, which attributed to the fact that Phryne wasn’t too badly hurt and during interrogation, was very obviously remorseful and claimed the money the professor had offered was too good to refuse for a poor student.  The young man was going to have to face some penalties, but even Phryne had requested leniency for him. </p><p>Dr. Sterling, on the other hand, was arrested and convicted for vehicular manslaughter, leading to a whole new round of media attention for Phryne, as well as the author of the article that had driven the exposure of Sterling’s behavior in the first place, which they both handled with relieved smiles and cooperative sound bites.</p><p>Finally, it seemed, that drama had come to an end.</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>“Inspector Robinson?”</p><p>Jack turned from where he was standing chatting with some of the younger officers and waved the clerk over.</p><p>“Sorry, sir, I know it’s your lunch, but there’s a young lady who is somewhat insistent down at the desk.”</p><p>“No worries, I’ll be right down.”  Jack pushed the last bite of his meal into his mouth and tidied up, then headed down the stairs.</p><p>The young lady standing near the front desk looked to be in her late teens, dressed professionally, for the first time he guessed, and nervous.</p><p>“Hello, I’m Inspector Robinson, can I be of assistance?”</p><p>“Umm, yes, hello.  I’m Hannah, um, Hannah Johnson and I wanted to ask you a question.”</p><p>Her nervousness was palpable, but the young lady kept going.  “I am a student at the university and am taking a course this semester.”</p><p>“And it’s going well?”</p><p>“What? Oh, yes! It’s fine, I’m really loving the course!”</p><p>“Great!  So…is there something I can help you with?”</p><p>“Right!! Yes, of course, sorry!  We have an assignment where we are supposed to teach the rest of the class about criminal justice, and at first, I was thinking some big research project, with graphs and charts that would really wow, but then I thought I’d probably have a lot of yawning classmates at the end of the hour.  Anyway, I had the idea to interview a professional in the industry, and your name came up.”</p><p>“My name? How’s that?”</p><p>“Well, Dr. McMillan has mentioned you several times, and she confirmed you’d be personable, and not too serious, and weren’t too hard to look at.  I probably wasn’t supposed to say that last bit.”</p><p>“And how do you know Mac?”</p><p>“Oh, I interned with her last year.”</p><p>Jack nodded, “I see.  On your coursework, what kind of interview did you have in mind?”</p><p>“I was hoping you’d be willing to come to the class and answer questions directly from the students.”</p><p>“That’s not exactly an interview.”</p><p>“It is, technically.  Questions are offered and you respond.”</p><p>“An interview implies one on one, but I would be answering the whole class?”</p><p>“It’s an ideal way to make an impression on my professor, but also engage a group of impressionable students.”</p><p>“So, your professor has given approval for this?” </p><p>Hannah sensed his doubt and was quick to set him at ease. “Yes, Dr. Fisher provided us the assignment details; she didn’t ask us to get approval prior to completing the project.”</p><p>“I don’t think I should.”</p><p>“Why?” The young woman had found her confidence, “Dr. Fisher is very supportive of Victoria Police, I can’t imagine that she’d have a problem with it. Plus, as a member of the force, I would think it your duty to share your knowledge with young minds eager to learn the workings of the criminal justice system in Victoria.”</p><p>Jack gave a small smile, “You remind me of her a little bit, you know.”</p><p>“Who? Dr. Fisher?” the young girl sounded shocked but pleased.</p><p>“Mm,” Jack said in affirmation.  “Okay Miss Johnson, I’ll do it, though I’ll need to have full discretion of what questions I answer and don’t.  There are policies in place about disclosing certain types of information.”</p><p>“Sure, whatever you can answer will be great!”  All nervousness gone, she continued to explain how his visit to her class would go, completely unaware that this would be the first time Jack saw Phryne, or more accurately, the first time Phryne saw Jack since they had parted ways.</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>“Here at University, we sit in large auditorium halls like this one and listen to esteemed professors,” she nodded to Dr. Fisher in the back of the room who nodded back, “capture lectures and read texts, then take exams or write papers.  As we move through our different programs, these large classes will become the exception and not the rule.  With that in mind, for my service to the class project, I’ve asked a well-respected officer, Senior Inspector Jack Robinson, to come speak to us.  I believe he’s prepared a few words, but this session is designed for us to ask him questions, to take advantage of this large forum.  So, gather your thoughts, my friends, we are about to play Detective on the Hot Seat!”</p><p>Since she hadn’t prepared material for this class, Phryne took advantage of the extra time to chat with students in the back of the room and hadn’t noticed Jack come in.  When she heard his name, she gasped out loud, causing her teaching assistant to turn and look at her curiously.  His tall frame rose from the front row of seats and he came to the podium.  He looked wonderful, Phryne thought, and she studied him as he prepared to get started.</p><p>He waved and smiled in reaction to the clapping and more than a few catcalls that came from the audience.  He didn’t seem to see her, so Phryne felt comfortable staring at him.  He was the guest of honor, after all.</p><p>“Thank you, Hannah, for inviting me to talk to you today and thank you for that warm welcome,” he opened good naturedly.  “I thought I’d start by introducing myself and then we can go ahead and have a go at your questions.  My name is Jack Robinson and I’m an Inspector with the Victoria Police.  I’ve been on the force about 20 years, and I started my police training right out of university as a cadet.”</p><p>Hannah turned to the audience, “Who’s first, what do you want to know about Inspector Robinson? Don’t be shy!”</p><p>And then the questions started to fly:</p><p>“What did you study when you were at university?”  </p><p>Jack was quick to respond, he’d be forewarned to expect a volley of questions, “I started in law, and then transferred to Criminology.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you stick with law?”</p><p>“Too much time in the library.  I love to read, but even I have my limits.”</p><p>“Do you work out?”</p><p>“I try, I cycle as much as I can.”</p><p>“As a commissioned officer, do you still have to pass physical fitness exams?”</p><p>“Yes, though it’s a different regime than for the new cadets, but still challenging.”</p><p>“Have you ever killed anyone?”</p><p>“I’ve had to shoot people in the line of duty, and some have died.  I don’t recommend it though, there’s a lot of paperwork and scrutiny.”</p><p>“Have you been shot?”</p><p>“Yes, a few times, but I’ve been fortunate, they’ve been minor.”</p><p>“How much money do you make?”</p><p>“More than when I started, but there are definitely more lucrative career choices out there.  I do it because it’s what I love and I think I’m good at.”</p><p>“What’s your favorite food?”</p><p>“I love a steak, but there’s really not any food I don’t like.”</p><p>“Are you married?”</p><p>	“I was, but I’m not anymore.”</p><p>“Are you in a relationship?” </p><p>        “No, not right now.”</p><p>“Do you want to be?” The class laughed, but Jack didn’t join in.  He looked toward the back of the room directly at Phryne.</p><p>        “I am in love with someone, but I screwed it up, so we’re not seeing each other anymore.  I’d rather move on to another topic.”</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>Another gasp erupted from Phryne, which seemed odd to her TA.  She couldn’t remember the typically unflappable woman ever showing such spontaneous emotion, besides a laugh maybe. “Dr. Fisher, are you okay?”</p><p>She turned to look at the younger woman and nodded, her eyes brimming with unshed tears and her bottom lip tucked under her teeth.</p><p>At the older woman’s expression, the young lady jumped to the right conclusion, “Wait! Is he talking about you?”</p><p>Phryne didn’t respond at first, and her friend continued in excited whispered tones, “That’s Jack, isn’t it? Is that him?”</p><p>Phryne nodded, and turned back to focus on the rest of his answers. He loved her?</p><p> </p><p>00000</p><p> </p><p>Jack’s honest vulnerability immediately set the student’s questions in a new direction.</p><p>“What’s your favorite movie?”</p><p>     “I love westerns, and most action and adventure, though the more they feel like my work, the less I enjoy them.”</p><p>“What do you think is the hardest thing for police to contend with in their service?”</p><p>     “Lack of common sense by all sides,” Jack teased with a smile, making the audience laugh.</p><p>Jack went on, fielding the questions as they continued to stream in.  After the earlier awkwardness, the questions were more focused on his professional life, which he found easier to handle.</p><p>At the end of the session, a few of the students came down to the front of the room and asked him questions that were better suited to a more private venue, and Jack answered more fully, as he could.  He found the students engaged and hoped that the information he’d shared was valuable.</p><p>As he talked with each student, he let his gaze drift toward the back of the room.  He couldn’t decide if he hoped she was still there or not.</p><p>It wasn’t until the last student left and Hannah thanked him again for coming that he saw the shadow in the back of the room moving toward him.  She’d trimmed her hair, so it was shoulder length and her silhouette looked sophisticated in a long, fitted skirt and short sleeve sweater.</p><p>Jack stepped down from the stage and walked up the angled walkway to meet her.</p><p>“Hi,” she spoke softly, and set her bag down in one of the empty seats.</p><p>“Hi, yourself,” he returned.  “I wasn’t sure you would be here.”  Their voices sounded so loud in the empty auditorium.</p><p>“Hannah didn’t mention the name of the speaker coming, she just said someone from Victoria Police.”</p><p>“I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable, I did ask if she needed your approval.”</p><p>“It’s fine, Jack, you did a great job.  They just had to confirm they were ready to present on a particular day, not what they were presenting.”</p><p>“So, you were here for the whole thing?”</p><p>Phryne nodded slowly, “Do you want to go get a drink or a bite?  If you have time?”  </p><p>“I realize I maybe shouldn’t have said what I did like that, so if you want to tell me to go away or that you don’t feel that way, you can just say it now.  I realize I’ve probably made you uncomf---”</p><p>Jack couldn’t get the rest of the sentence out, Phryne was kissing him, softly at first, and then desperately.  He joined her, putting all his efforts into the kiss, while at the same time trying to tell himself to savor the moment.  They didn’t stop until the need for air required it, and even then, they didn’t pull apart.</p><p>“Hi,” she said again, this time much more relaxed and with a broad smile on her face.</p><p>“Hi,” he echoed, but took her lips this time, not willing to let go of the heady sensations of kissing her again.</p><p>“Wait! Wait, Jack!” Phryne pulled back a little. His instinct said to let her go completely and step back, but she didn’t release the hold on his jacket.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Jack.  I’m so sorry for that day.”</p><p>“No, no, I was a jerk.  I deserved exactly what you said and did.”</p><p>“I’ve thought it through so many times.  What I should have done was drag you upstairs to feed you a good meal and make you take a long nap.  I just saw you angry and it made me angry and I reacted without thinking. I let my history takeover and I retreated, hard and fast.”</p><p>“I was a jealous idiot.”</p><p>Phryne laughed, “you were.  But it was kind of adorable.  Well, not then, but later, when I’d had time to process, it was.”</p><p>“It was a combination of bad timing, and I definitely wasn’t in my full mind.”</p><p>“I can’t believe you said that you loved me in front of my class.”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“I do, too,” she whispered, and leaned in.</p><p>The loud metallic clang of a door opening broke their intimate bubble, and a young man’s head popped in.  “Oh, are you done in here? I need to set up for the next class.”</p><p>“Go ahead! We were just leaving!” Phryne called out, then turned to Jack, “so, back to my original question.  Do you want to meet for drinks or dinner?  But it would have to be this evening, my office hours start in fifteen minutes.”</p><p>“I need to get back to the station too, but yes, let’s meet tonight.  At the Supper Club? Seven?”</p><p>Jack picked up Phryne’s bag then draped his arm around her shoulder and walked with her to the door.  </p><p>“You don’t know how much I’ve missed you, Jack,” she turned toward him one more time as they reached the sidewalk outside.</p><p>“Yes, I do. I know exactly how much,” he answered, then transferred her bag to her shoulder.</p><p>He kissed her forehead and smiled as he watched her walk away.  Phryne turned back and gave him a flirty wave, which Jack mirrored, then headed the other direction toward the station.</p><p> </p><p>To be continued…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I appreciate your feedback, if you don't mind sharing!  Looks like one more chapter to come for this one.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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